On Saturday, April 17th we left Lilongwe for a quiet day on Lake Malawi. We headed east to the Rift Valley which is a gigantic fault that runs the length of most of Africa and forms the valley in which most of the anthropologic data on the origins of man has been developed. The living conditions remain basic with wood providing fuel, water sources are tennuous and food is extremely insecure. The amazing thing is how well people do with so little. Currently there seems to be adequate food but there is great concern that the harvest was poor and there won't be sufficient food to get through the dry season.
The lake is spectacular. It is about 50 miles wide and the mountains of Mozambique can be seen across the lake. The lake is very rich with fish and the fisherman fish from dugout canoes in the middle of the night but pull in large amounts of fish - an extraordinary source of protein in a nation very short on protein sources. We spent a delightful day on the lake and then left for Mzuzu where we are staying with our good friends the Heller's who have been working in Mzuzu running a crisis nursery for 2 years for orphans. We did a mobil clinic in a small town about 50 km away. I think the people were the sickest I've seen. There was a huge amount of malaria particularly in the children. Also HIV, schistosomiasis, intestinal helminths, elephantiasis etc.
On Tuesday, we went to Vwasa National Park where we saw a lot of elephants, hippopotomus, baboons, and birds. On Wednesday, the group we've been working with headed back to Lilongwe to prepare for their flights home. We've stayed with the Heller's and did medical exams on the babies in the nursery and all the staff.
On Friday and Saturday we relaxed and celibrated Carolyn's birthday. The internet remains intermittent but we'll try to keep in touch as we go forward.
The lake is spectacular. It is about 50 miles wide and the mountains of Mozambique can be seen across the lake. The lake is very rich with fish and the fisherman fish from dugout canoes in the middle of the night but pull in large amounts of fish - an extraordinary source of protein in a nation very short on protein sources. We spent a delightful day on the lake and then left for Mzuzu where we are staying with our good friends the Heller's who have been working in Mzuzu running a crisis nursery for 2 years for orphans. We did a mobil clinic in a small town about 50 km away. I think the people were the sickest I've seen. There was a huge amount of malaria particularly in the children. Also HIV, schistosomiasis, intestinal helminths, elephantiasis etc.
On Tuesday, we went to Vwasa National Park where we saw a lot of elephants, hippopotomus, baboons, and birds. On Wednesday, the group we've been working with headed back to Lilongwe to prepare for their flights home. We've stayed with the Heller's and did medical exams on the babies in the nursery and all the staff.
On Friday and Saturday we relaxed and celibrated Carolyn's birthday. The internet remains intermittent but we'll try to keep in touch as we go forward.
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